In fall 2012, the University of Colorado in Boulder installed five HD videoboards at Folsom Field, home of CU Buffs football, as well as a BuffVision HD control room inside the Coors Events Center, home to men's and women's basketball and volleyball, to power the displays at both venues. The Folsom Field boards replaced aging SD displays that dated to the mid 1990s and, along with the launch of Pac-12 Networks the same year, provided BuffVision with the technological firepower to take its in-stadium and live-streaming production operations to the next level.
More than three years later, BuffVision continues to raise the bar both in-venue and online, producing videoboard shows for every event at Folsom Field and Coors Events Center, live-streaming more on-campus events than ever, and creating loads of original content for CUBuffs.com, Pac-12 Digital Networks, and YouTube and social outlets. Staffed by just three full-timers - Director Deric Swanson, Assistant Director Eric Pelloni, and Specialist Max Benz - BuffVision is able to accomplish all this, thanks to a host of freelancers and student workers, shrewd technical-equipment decisions, and no shortage of ingenuity.
SVG sat down with Pelloni, now in his 10th year as BuffVision assistant director (although he has been involved for the better part of 15 years, previously as a freelancer), to discuss how the BuffVision program has evolved over the past decade, the impact of the Pac-12 Networks launch and facilities upgrade in 2012, BuffVision's sizable impact on recruiting, and the importance of adapting to the ever changing video-consumption habits of the CU Buffs fanbase.
Eric Pelloni: We're almost a newsgathering service at this point. We're telling our stories, and we're telling them as quickly as possible.
What has been the biggest change in BuffVision's role in CU Athletics over the past decade?
The biggest change has been producing more content for the Web. When I first started, we weren't cranking out videos all the time for the Web; it was more of a bonus. We started off just streaming basketball games and producing highlights for the Web, but there wasn't a whole lot of content for the Website. I think the biggest thing is just the type of content that we produce now and the volume of content that we're producing. We're almost a newsgathering service at this point. We're telling our stories, and we're telling them as quickly as possible.
We're covering every sport and trying to create content for every sport. Plus, we have board shows for all of our events. So, for the three of us to churn out that much volume, I think is pretty amazing. There is a good balance of really good quality for the amount of time that we have to spend on each individual thing. It's a lot of fun, but it's a full-throttle sprint from August until March. I think people are surprised when they see how much really good video we create.
What role do students play in BuffVision Production, and how do you recruit them?
We pay our students, and we end up with five to eight kids that rotate through and five or six freelancers. We usually have three or four students that are our go-to workers, and then we use them to recruit others who might be interested in working with us. We always tell the kids we bring in [that] we don't hire and we don't fire anybody and we're not going to teach you how to do it; we're just going to make you better. When we need you to go out and shoot tennis and put together a package, you learn how to edit and put things together on your own. We're going to bring you in, and we're going to give you an opportunity, give you access to an edit bay, a camera, and gear. If the kid kind of gets it and they're interested, then they become one of our core kids.
And then, we've got the journalism school, which has a production class that requires students to sign up and work a game for us. For example, if a student comes to work a slash camera or learn replay on volleyball and realizes they want to be a part of this, then we get students that way. You want somebody who's reliable, really wants to be there, and sees the opportunity to get better. You're not going to become a better camera operator because I taught you; you're going to become a better camera operator because I'm going to give you 40 opportunities to run camera. A handful of our student workers have moved on to [work professionally], so it's really nice that we're able to teach them a little bit and be more prepared when they go out there in the real world.
How has CU's move to the Pac-12 and the launch of Pac-12 Networks impacted your operation?
Our relationship with Pac-12 Networks is great. They've given us a lot of resources to extend our brand and our reach and our videos, and we get a lot more eyeballs. Our streaming product is awesome since they provided us with the tools to be able to do high-quality streaming. Our brand is out there on the networks with so many games being on TV constantly, so we get great exposure. [And] we now have a great facility that allows us to produce tons of content for CUBuffs.com and the Pac-12 Website. We've got multiple avenues to push out our content and tell our stories, and it's really changed the way we do things. There is no limit to what we want to do: we can just think it up, and we can do it.
What storage and asset-management infrastructure did you install when the new control room launched in 2012?
When we built this control room, the biggest priority was installing shared storage. So we got an EditShare server, and all of our games are live-ingested straight to that. Or, If it's on TV, we record it and make a melt of it; everything gets ingested live straight to our EditShare. And then
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
In fall 2012, the University of Colorado in Boulder installed five HD videoboards at Folsom Field, home of CU Buffs football, as well as a BuffVision HD control room inside the Coors Events Center, home to men's and women's basketball and volleyball, to power the displays at both venues. The Folsom Field boards replaced aging SD displays that dated to the mid 1990s and, along with the launch of Pac-12 Networks the same year, provided BuffVision with the technological firepower to take its in-stadium and live-streaming production operations to the next level.
